Expansible egg incubator and hatcher tray



' Dec. 16, 1941. H. c. MACK EXPANSIBLE EGG I NCUBA'IORv AND HATCHER TRAY Filed Aug. 17,1940

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 EXPANSIBLE EGG INCUBATOR ANDI HATCHER TRAY Henry C. Mack, Des Arc, Ark.

Application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,110

4 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to incubators and more particularly to egg receiving trays therefor.

An important object of my invention is to provide an expansible tray comprising telescoping sections wherein the sections may be made to assume a collapsed position for use on the turning rack of the incubator and thereafter, Without removing the eggs therefrom, the sections may be made to assume an expanded position for use in the hatcher.

Another object of my invention is to provide an expansible tray of the above-mentioned character wherein the telescoping sections may be moved from one position to the other without jarring the eggs and wherein the transformation may be elected with speed and facility to reduce the chilling of the eggs to a minimum during the transfer of the eggs to the hatcher.

Other objects and advantages of my invention, will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a tray constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, showing parts in section and parts in elevation, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, and

Figure4 is a transverse sectional View, showing parts broken away, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I designates a collapsible tray comprising telesccping sections II and I2. The sections are preferably formed from a suitable metallic sheet material, although it is to be understood thatl any suitable material such as wood or a plastic composition may be used. The outer section II is formed with a substantially rectangular bottom I3 having upstanding parallel front and rear Walls I4 and I5 and an upstanding outer side wall I6 the ends i of which integrally connect with the ends of the front and rear walls. Section I2' is similarly provided with an essentially rectangular bottom I'I having upstanding parallel front and rear Walls I8 and I9 and an upstanding outer side wall 20 integrally connected at its ends with the adjacent ends of the front and rear walls. The inner sides of each of the sections are open and adapted V-to be arranged in overlapping relation with each other. `sociated with each other, the bottom Il of the When the sections are telescopically asinner section I2 will be slidably supported on the bottom I3 and the outer surfaces of the front and .rear walls I8 and I9 will slidably engage the inner surfaces of the front and rear Walls I4 and I5. The open side 2| of the outer section is provided with a depending flange 22 which extends transversely of the tray intermediate the sides I6 and 20 to strengthen and stiien the bottom of the inner section I2.

'Ihe front and rear walls I4 and I5 of section I I extend below the bottom I3 and the extending portions are `bent inwardly, as at 23, and upwardly, as at 24, which upstanding portion is provided with an inturned lip 25. As best illustrated in Figure 4, the front and rear margins of the bottom I3 are supported on the lips 25 and the edges thereof terminate flush with the inner face of the upstanding portions 24 to provide internal longitudinal grooves or guideways 2'6 at the juncture of the bottom with the front and rear walls. The front and rear walls I8 and I9 of section I2 similarly extend below the bottom Il, which extending portions are rolled inwardly to provide guide bars slidably received within the grooves 26. The guide bars include horizontally spaced vertical wall portions 2l and 28 and vertically spaced horizontal wall portions 25 and 30 integrally connected with each other, the Wall portion 21 being integrally connected with the front and rear walls to comprise a depending continuation thereof. The front and rear marginal edges of the bottom II overlie and are supported by the upper horizontal wall portions 30 of the guide bars and the edges thereof are disposed in abutting relation with the inner faces of the front and rear walls.

The upper marginal edges of the front and rear walls i8 and I9 are similarly rolled inwardly, the horizontally spaced vertical wall portions 3I and 32 integrally connecting with the vertically spaced horizontal wall portions 33 and 34 and the vertical wall portion 32 being integrally connected with the front and rear walls and comprising an upward continuation thereof. The above-described rolled portions comprise upper guide bars which telescopically interfit within the similarly rolled upper marginal edges of the front and rear walls I4 and I5. The upper marginal edges of the front and rear walls I4 and I5 are bent inwardly and downwardly, as at 35 and 3S, to overlie the upper and inner wall portions 34 and 3| of the upper guide bars. The downwardly extending portions 36 extend below the guide bars, which extending portions are bent inwardly, as at 31, to overlie the lower horizontal wall 33. The edges 38 of the inturned portions 31 are spaced slightly from the inner faces of the front and rear walls I8 and I9 to permit the same to have a substantially free sliding movement therebetween. The upper and lower guide bars of the inner section I2 should snugly fit within the cooperating guideways of the outer section Il in a manner to direct the relative sliding movement of the sections. There should, however, be sufficient space between the outer surface of the guide bars and the inner surface of the guides to permit free sliding movement therebetween and to obviate the possibility of binding.

'Ihe lower margins of the side walls I6 and extend below the bottoms of their respective sections and the extending portions are bent back upon themselves, as at 39, which back turned portions are provided with a horizontal lip 40 for supporting the side margins of the bottoms I3 and I'I. The upper marginal edges of the sides are preferably bent inwardly and back ,horizontal position in the incubator, the capacity upon themselves to provide an inturned flange 4I.

The leaf springs 42 have one end riveted, or otherwise secured, to the front and rear walls of the outer section and the other ends thereof carry detents 43 which extend through registering openings in the walls and into registering li openings in the front and rear walls ofthe inner section. A portion of the springs extend beyond the detents to provide finger pieces 44 which curve outwardly from the planes of the front and rear walls to permit manual release of thei.

detents from the openings. When the detents are received within aligning openings in the inner and outer walls, the sections Il and I2 will be locked against movement relative to each; however, when the nger pieces 44 are( moved outwardly to disengage the detents from the openings the sections may be easily actuated. The inner Wall is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 45 whereby the sections maybe locked in selected adjusted positions relative tol each other.

The front wall I4 of the outer section is provided with a card holder 46 which accommodates the card 4l upon which card may be printed identifying indicia asto the contents of the tray;-

The tray I0 is thus capable of being locked in two or more positions whereby adjustment of the sections I0 and Il relative to each other will increase or decrease the area thereof. When the section I2 is in the innermost or collapsed position the tray is suited for use in an incubator and is of a requisite size to be supported on the turning rack thereof. When the tray is used in this capacity the eggs are positioned on their small ends and tightly packed into the relatively generally removed from the incubator and placed in a hatcher which is usually larger and permits the use of larger trays.

When the operator removes the tray from the incubator he holds the front end in one hand and the back. end in his other hand and with the forenger of each hand he releases the devfrom the hatching tray.

tents and presses gently with his thumbs on the side of the outer section Il until the detents move out of register with the opening in the inner walls. He may now release the nger pieces 44 and gently move the sections to the extended or expanded position at which time the detents will engage within other holes 45 in the walls of the inner section. During the expansion or extension of the sections the eggs may roll gently from their ends onto their sides by reason of the relatively larger area provided by the sections in the last-mentioned position. The tray may then be placed in the hatcher which need not be opened until the hatch is completed there being plenty of room then provided for the chicks.

' By expanding the tray the eggs may be moved fromthe incubator to the hatcher without moving the same from the tray in which they were originally placed. If the eggs are placed in a of the incubator is materially reduced and if the chicks are permitted to hatch in the incubator when the eggs are positioned on end there is not sufficient space to permit all 'of the chicks to hatch. Under such conditions it is, therefore, necessary that the chicks which hatch rst be removed in order that there be room for the rest of the chicks. Where itis necessary to manually remove the rSt chicks from the incubator there is a substantial loss of humidity and temperature during such removal which may jeopardize the eggs remaining therein. It is also necessary to additionally iumigate just before removing the second hatched chicks. If, however, the tray may be removed from the incubator as a unit, immediately transformed into a larger tray and placed in the hatcher, it is unnecessary to distribute the eggs and it is possible to maintain an essentially constant humidity or temperature at all times in the incubator. By reducing the danger of chilling the eggs a higher percentage of the chicks will hatch.

In the past various methods have been used in transferring the eggs from the incubator to the hatcher. One method has been to transfer the eggs individually by hand, a long and tedious process which has proven to be unsatisfactory for the reason that a large percentage of the eggs are chilled vor broken at this time.

Another method which has been extensively used in the past has been to place a larger tray over the incubating tray, to thereafter flip the two end for end and then remove the incubating tray. This method stands the eggs suddenly on the opposite end andwhen the small tray is removed the eggs' roll severely. The sudden shock to the eggs at this critical time causes considerable damage even when vexpertly executed. Considerable time is required and, among hatchery men, this time is sometimes referred to as the eighteenth day chill.

Still another method that has found extensive practice requires that the incubating tray be placed in a larger hatching tray. In this method the incubating tray is formed with detachable Sides `and bottom whereby the bottom of the incubator tray may be pulled from under the eggs and the sides thereof disengaged and removed While this method eliminates the shock of suddenly standing the eggs on their opposite ends the severe rolling that voccurs when the sides are removed is still present and to this is added the shock of dragging the full length of the incubating tray bottom along the ends of the eggs.

A tray constructed in accordance with the present invention, therefore, nds considerable utility in the art in that it is unnecessary to transfer the eggs by hand from one tray to another and the shock caused by transforming the incubating tray into a larger tray is reduced to a minimum. The removal of the incubatingtray from the incubator, the expansion of the tray to a size sufficient to permit a complete hatching of the brood and the insertion of the expanded tray into the hatcher may be accomplished in a very short time. It is not necessary that the incubator door be left open for any substantial interval and the eggs in the trays remaining in the incubator are not damaged by a substantial dropping of the humidity and temperature of the incubator.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith ,shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of my invention, or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An expansible tray comprising open ended box sections, one slidably mounted within the other, the outer section being formed with intery nal guideways at the juncture of the bottom with the front and rear walls thereof, the front and rear walls of the inner section extending below the bottom thereof and into the said guideways,

guide blocks connected with the upper edges of l extending between the edges of the rolled portions of the said rst walls, the upper margins of the said second walls being rolled to telescopically intert within the iirst rolled portions and the lower margins of the second walls extending below the bottom of the said section and into the guideways.

3. 'An expansible egg tray for incubators comprising a pair of open ended telescopically arranged box sections having vertical wall portions arranged for sliding movement relative to each other, spring pressed detents mounted on the vertical wall portions of the outer section, said detents being adapted to extend through registering openings in the walls of the outer section and through any one of a plurality of openings provided in the sliding vertical walls of the inner section, and manually actuated means extending from the detents and in the direction of the projecting portion of the internal box section whereby to be readily accessible to a person holding the trai7 by the projecting portion of the inner box section to permit the said person to expeditiously remove the detents from the openings and simultaneously press against the inner end of the outer wall portions to move the box sections relative to each other.

4. An expansible egg tray for incubators comprising a pair of open ended telescopically arranged box sections having vertical wall portions arranged for sliding movement relative to each other, detents adapted to extend through registering openings in the inner and outer vertical wall portions for holding the box sections against movement relative to each other, and spring arms carrying the detents mounted on the outer wall portions, said spring arms urging the detents into the openings and having end portions extending in the direction of the projecting portion of the inner box section to provide means permitting manual lifting of the detents from the openings by a person holding the tray by the projecting portion of the inner box section, which person may then move the box sections relative to each other by pressing against the adjacent inner end of the outer box section.

HENRY C. MACK. 

